Save Our Springs Alliance

The good news is that the multiple bills by Rep. Paul Workman of southwest Travis County to further expand grandfathering and prohibit cities and counties from protecting watersheds failed to pass. Another bad Workman water bill, which would have created a Trojan horse groundwater district in western Travis County, passed the House but Rep. Workman failed to convince any Senator to carry the bill on the Senate side.  

Jeremiah Venture proposal to spray sewage on the Barton Springs recharge zone set for hearing – SOS Alliance and the City of Austin have been fighting for more than six years a request by developers Lee Weber and Sean Breedlove for a TCEQ permit to spray irrigate treated sewage directly on the Barton Springs Edwards Aquifer recharge zone. The proposed wastewater treatment facility and the planned 1200 home development it would serve are both located immediately adjacent to City of Austin watershed protection lands on Onion Creek. If approved, it would be the first permit granted for irrigation on the recharge zone.

In 2011, environmental writer Paul Robbins released a report on the many problems with Austin's water conservation program entitled "Read It and Leak."  He has just released an update, which can be found here:  Water Conservation Report

Unfortunately, most of the problems identified two years ago are still occurring.  These include overstated savings, under-performing programs, and underspent budgets.  The report identified 20 specific corrective actions that should be taken.  This report was partially funded by the SOS Alliance.

As previously reported, State Rep. Paul Workman of western Travis County has led the charge to gut local control over land use and watershed protection. Thankfully, most of these efforts have been stymied. However, his HB 3088 is still alive. It would grant developers the right to sue cities for damages whenever a city refuses a developer request to be grandfathered to older, weaker development rules. The current law only allows suits for injunctive, non-monetary relief.